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Eve chuckled, continuing the rolling of the dough. From there she’d cut the dough into triangles and then roll each one up into croissants.
After spending a lot longer than she should’ve on the couch with Griffin last night, she should’ve been bone tired. Instead, she felt on top of the world. His mere presence had calmed her like nothing ever had before.
The longer she thought about it, the more she decided her eyes had to have been playing tricks on her. Maybe someone had been roaming around the house, but not a speck of dirt littered the ground. If the planter had fallen over and someone picked it up, they had cleaned it spectacularly to hide the evidence.
Or maybe her mind had imagined the planter on its side. She’d been jumping at every shadow since she arrived, so it only made sense she conjured something that didn’t happen.
Despite the tenderness he had bestowed upon her during the fireworks, he remained a gentleman the rest of the evening. He sat on one side of the couch while she sat on the other. Being a loveseat, it didn’t offer a lot of room, but no body parts touched. For some reason, that disappointed her. Starting a relationship so soon, and one filled with lies, wouldn’t be wise. Yet, she wanted to. She wanted more from Griffin, and that was a problem.
She’d been ready to flee last night, and it still sounded like a good idea. She wasn’t safe in this town any longer. Because she was losing her heart to a kind, decent man. Lying to him was getting harder and harder to do.
Juliet kept on her merry chatter she loved doing. Chip nodded in usual fashion, and Eve participated when she had to. The only odd thing about the day was Juliet not asking about last night. About why she showed up at the park. Did that mean Griffin had told her? She wasn’t sure how she felt about that. If she wanted Juliet—or anyone else—to know what happened, it should be her decision, no one else’s.
Her shift ended at two, and Griffin delivered her car as promised. He’d stopped in around eleven for lunch, returning her keys and letting her know it was parked in back. He didn’t say anything about last night and neither did she. What was there to say? Nothing had happened between them. Still platonic as usual.
He confirmed they were on for grilling steaks tonight. While she wanted to bow out somehow, she nodded, though she still had an escape to plan once again.
She had her key in the lock of her car when Juliet called out to her.
“Everything okay, Eve? I told myself not to pry, but I wanted to make sure.”
“Of course.”
Juliet walked closer. “You came last night, but everything didn’t seem okay. Griffin hasn’t told me anything, and I’m worried. You looked…frightened last night.”
She still was. Perhaps her mind had been playing tricks on her. Or maybe she had seen exactly what she thought. Then that meant he found her.
Honestly, would she ever be safe? Always looking over her shoulder. Always ready to flee at a moment’s notice. Always keeping people at a distance because it wasn’t wise to let them get too close.
Look at what happened letting Griffin penetrate her defenses. She let her guard down. She let herself feel safe when she was anything but.
“Eve? You can tell me anything. You can trust me.” Juliet stepped even closer, so close she could reach out and touch her. “You can trust Griffin.”
Eve sighed, her heart sinking at the realization hitting her. “I can’t trust anyone, Juliet. I wish I could.”
Then she opened her car door, making Juliet move to the side. She pulled out of the lot, eyeing Juliet in her rearview mirror, noting the phone to her ear.
She shouldn’t have been so honest. Now she had no choice. No time to plan. She had to leave now. Speeding wasn’t an option as one of the officers was always patrolling the streets. She felt as if she always passed one driving anywhere she went in town, no matter the day or time.
Her legs felt like Jell-O as she exited her car and rushed to her door. She stood for a moment, wondering what to pack. There was no time to grab a lot. Juliet had called someone. That someone had to have been Griffin. Would he come over immediately? Wait to talk to her tonight? She couldn’t risk him coming right now.
Grabbing her duffle bag from the closet, the same one she fled with the first time, she tossed as many clothes as she could in there. Toiletries went in next. She’d take her pillow as well, and one blanket. If she had to sleep in her car, then she’d at least have some comfort.
Food. She’d need some to hold her over until she had a decent plan. Whatever that plan was, she had no idea. Maybe something would come to her on the drive out of town.
She turned from her bed, stopping in her tracks. Griffin stood in the doorway, blocking her exit. His eyes glided to the bag on the bed, filled to the brim. Then his gaze met hers.
“You left your front door open.”
Had she? She didn’t remember. All she recollected was running out of the car and standing in the foyer for a moment, wondering what to pack.
“Silly me. Thank you for letting me know.”
His eyes darted to the bag again. “Going somewhere?”
She swallowed, feeling the sweat build up in her armpits. She hated constantly lying to him. But she had no choice.
“I need some non-Christmas stuff. You know how hard it is to buy anything like that here. I thought I’d take an overnight bag.”
